FIG. 1 shows a prior art specimen test strip 100 with a reaction area 102. Reaction area 102 contains reagents that react with an analyte in a specimen sample, such as glucose in a blood sample. When the specimen sample reaches reaction area 102, reaction area 102 changes color according to a characteristic of the analyte, such as the glucose level in blood. The user visually compares the color of reaction area 102 against a chart 104 to correlate the color of reaction area 102 to the characteristic of the analyte. Alternatively the user inserts specimen test strip 100 into a meter, which optically determines the characteristic of the analyte.